Would love to understand how on earth anyone can feel that £75m plus add ons is not brilliant business. Several things stand out for me:
1. Romelu Lukaku is never in a million years worth £100m. That would make him the most expensive footballer in history of the game. He's a very good striker, but he's not THAT good. His tendency for very patchy form and his two recent non-performances at major international tournaments say to me that there's something missing that prevents him from hitting the true heights. He may still get there, but he hasn't yet and therefore cannot possibly be viewed as being worth that money.
2. Romelu Lukaku is probably not worth £75m, in all honesty. When you look at which other players have gone for that kind of money. You're talking Pogba, Bale, Ronaldo, Higuain. Pogba for me doesn't deserve that fee either. The others are IMHO a level or several levels above Rom. Certainly Bale and Ronaldo are. £75m, plus add ons takes him to their level. Let's be honest, do any of us think he's THAT good? He's a good goal scorer but there are glaring deficiencies in his game and the tendency to not exert his influence the way he could and should. He needs to grow and improve an awful lot as a player lot to justify is kind of fee. Lacazette joined Arsenal today for what..£46m? Truthfully I think Lukaku's worth is much more at that end of the market.
3. Even if Everton did leak the £100m price tag, there's no way the could possibly have thought they'd get it. When you have an asset like Lukaku, who is under a long contract with no release clause - you set your price high knowing that clubs are going to try and drive you down. Had we set it at £75m, we might have been lucky to get £65m. Setting the bar unrealistically high means we get more than he's probably actually worth.
4. We paid £28m for Lukaku in 2014. Anyone honestly think he is three times the player he was then? He has improved for sure, but not THAT much. Genuinely, I think we're getting a brilliant deal here.
